don't you run away, please don't go

I'm enjoying the cozy interior and warm floors of my tiny Korean apartment this chilly Sunday afternoon. The sun's rays are pulsing on the windows giving me the false illusion of warmth, but I don't fool that easily.

This weekend was composed with the perfect blend of relaxation and fun. Friday night David and I met up with Shin and her boyfriend whose visiting South Korea, Julia (sans Andy) and Nathan. We ventured into the bustling district of affluent Gangnam. I love its sophisticated collection of cafe's, retail stores and top notch restaurants. But I love it even more for its quirky nooks and eccentric personalities. When I'm in Gangnam I feel like I'm in the heart of the beautiful Seoul City.

I've fallen in love with Korea. I'm not sure, but I'm nearly positive that I've hobbled over that line of culture shock vs. acceptance of a new way of living. Things still seem fresh and new, every time we go out (even if it is just to the local grocery), but they are less weird, if you will. And consequently, things back home are starting to seem strange. Let me share a simple example.

I made a phone call back to the States last night to talk about our wedding cake (which is going to be fabulous). Before passing the phone over to the woman in charge, I heard, "Hang on." This took me by complete surprise. It's a perfectly normal expression, but one that I haven't heard in ages. It seems like such a strange thing to ask someone to do...

Anyway, back to our Gangnam adventure. It takes about an hour to get there, but it's worth it. We had a delicious Korean dinner at (I forget?) that was mega-cheap and then meandered over to Oktoberfest. David and I went there with Shin before - they brew their own beers and serve German cuisine. Even the Korean servers are dressed in German garb. It smells just as I would guess Germany smells like: brats, beer and cigarette smoke.

After drinks and talks we went to a Korean photo booth which was insane. You pay 6,000 Won and then get your picture taken in this booth behind your choice of backgrounds. Then you scurry behind the booth to decorate the pictures with words, hearts, borders, etc. It was 6,000 Won well spent, but stressful (I hate being timed)!

Here are a few pictures:

stilt man


me with stilt man


at the photo booth store


the photo booth we chose


inside the photo booth. you can see my new purse on the left - it's ostrich skin and handmade by a man in itaewon!


the stickers


up close


up close


up close

Thailand in 6 days. :)